Reaching Out
by Aisuru1
Summary: *Complete*Finished* Crystal Tokyo ficlet. Please read and review. Neo-Queen Serenity is tired of being ignored by her workaholic husband, so she turns off their bond.


Reaching Out by Aisuru  
  
The king's eyes flashed an angry blue. Where the heck was she? He paced the room a few times, his lavender cape swishing behind him, and then stopped to try again. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let the golden tendrils of energy spread out from him, reaching for her. They came back empty, untouched by her. He let out a low growl. How many times had he told her not to hide from him like this? He stormed out of their rooms and towards the time gate in the castle. He rudely let himself in without knocking, but of course Setsuna was already expecting him.  
  
"Good afternoon, King Endymion," she murmured, sweeping into an elegant bow.  
  
He growled in response. "Yeah, good afternoon yourself!" he barked, reeking of sarcasm. Then he turned the full force of his eyes towards her, and Setsuna thought they might burn a hole into her. "Where is she?"  
  
"Where is whom?" she asked softly.  
  
"Who the heck do you think I mean? Serenity, of course!" his eyes flashed in anger at her jest. "I cannot feel her, I cannot sense her, and it feels as if she's..." He swallowed and lowered his gaze, not able to finish the sentence. Not being able to feel her felt as if she were dead. When he raised his eyes again they were full of pain and worry.  
  
"You know I will not tell you that," Setsuna responded flatly and without emotion. Endymion's hands formed fists at his sides. "You know," she suggested, "maybe if you spent more time with her you would know where she spends her days without relying on that leash you always make her wear." Although Setsuna's tone was even, her eyes suddenly flashed violet fire.  
  
"Leash? What the..." he started. Then he blanched. "Is that what she thinks of our connection? Of this sacred bond we share?"  
  
"Well, is not that how you use it?" Setsuna replied, her anger getting the best of her usually carefully chosen and painfully neutral words. "You can lock yourself away in your office for days, and your only 'connection' with her is your knowledge of where she is and her state of safety! Maybe you're the one that needs to rethink this 'connection' of yours!" With that, Setsuna vanished in the mists of time.  
  
King Endymion was stunned. He stumbled out the time portal in a daze and made his way to their rooms. 'Have I really been that distant lately?' he wondered. He knew he loved Serenity, and that he needed that connection he shared with her, but was he maybe, just maybe, using that as a substitute for a real relationship with her? He thought back to the last few weeks. 'I have been really busy! I am king, after all. Surely she must understand that!' He tried to justify to himself his micro- managing of Crystal Tokyo, and then realized that was just what it was -- micro-managing. There was no reason for him to take an active role in every issue of importance to Crystal Tokyo.  
  
King Endymion sighed and allowed himself a bitter laugh at his own expense. "Okay, Usako!" he called out, using the name he called her when they were first in love. "You're right. I'm wrong. We need to spend more time together..." he paused, feeling that she was nearby, but feeling it with human intuition. He continued: "More time ALONE together, just you and me, without my papers and my calendars and my laptop..."  
  
He heard a rustling behind him, and Queen Serenity peeked out from under their bed, stifling a giggle. Then she tried to look seriously, despite the fact that she was lying on the floor under their bed. "Do you promise, Mamo- chan?" she asked, ruining her seriousness by using his pet name.  
  
He nodded.  
  
Queen Serenity crawled out from under the bed, pausing for a moment to smooth her long white gown and rearrange her silver hair. Then she ran into his arms. As his arms wrapped around his wife, King Endymion felt the return of their connection and smiled with contentment. He placed the gentlest of feathery kisses on her lips and looked deeply into her eyes. "I will never neglect you again."  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Of course, I own no share of the intellectual property rights regarding the Sailor Moon series or characters. I am just a lowly fan expending creative energy to explore the fascinating world in which these characters reside. PLEASE email me: aisuru_chan@yahoo.com or write me a review. Written on September 8, 2000 (first posted -- not here --under my previous author name, Aisuru-chan). 


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